Henry Cejudo thinks father time is catching up to him and Michael Chandler.
The former two-division UFC Champion finds himself in the same boat as Michael Chandler. Both fighters are 38 years old, on a three-fight losing streak with two of those losses coming to former champions and still hold down a spot in the top-10 of their respective divisions.
Chandler suffered his third-straight loss in the co-main event of UFC 314 on Saturday at the hands of Paddy Pimblett.
The #12-ranked Pimblett absolutely wiped the floor with Chandler, bloodying the former Bellator champion for a TKO stoppage in round 3.
Chandler hasn’t looked worse in the UFC with Michael Bisping calling the performance at UFC 314 a ‘career-killer’. Josh Thomson claimed Chandler was ‘done’ and ‘washed’ for losing to Pimblett.
Henry Cejudo tells Michael Chandler to consider retirement
Henry Cejudo’s heard similar criticism late into his career, wanting one more fight for himself before he retires from MMA, hoping to avoid any serious injuries like the eye damage he received from his recent loss with Song Yadong.
As for what Chandler should do, Cejudo would like to see him follow a similar path.
After all, the fan-favorite has been apart of so many wars from Bellator to UFC.
“I’m 0-3. So I get it, Chandler,” Cejudo told MMA Junkie.
“He probably has to get one more and just consider retirement,” Cejudo said.
“That’s a lot of beatings, man.”
Henry Cejudo says Michael Chandler ‘could have been the best’
Michael Chandler entered the UFC later than most, a few months before his 35th birthday. Chandler was a three-time champion in Bellator and nearly won the UFC title in just his second UFC fight against Charles Oliveira before losing by comeback TKO.
Chandler’s also put up great fights against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje but the American would fall just short of the finish line each time.
“I think Chandler could have been the best in the world,” Cejudo said of Chandler’s potential.
“He’s too much of a crowd pleaser and that has really bit him in the ass.
Currently 0-3, Cejudo wonders how long the UFC would keep Michael Chandler around if he keeps losing.
“Mike Perry was a crowd pleaser too,” Cejudo said of Mike Perry, who left the UFC in 2021 after a slew of fun fights.
“There’s only a certain time before the UFC just says, ‘Hey man, thank you for pleasing us, but we gotta we gotta move on…’
“I feel like Chandler, they’re probably gonna at this point, maybe the UFC might give him a younger guy, and that’s typically what happens in this game,” Cejudo said.
